Rivers’ State Local Government chairmen elected in October 2024, has been sent packing by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Rivers State electoral commission conducted the elections amidst controversy and a court ruling barring it from going ahead with the poll. Reading the lead judgement Friday Justice Jamilu Tukur, said the that the Rivers Independent Electoral Commission did not comply with the Electoral Act and guidelines as the electoral body continued voter registration after announcing an election date.
The court held that the processes leading to the conduct of the election blatantly violated section 150 of the Electoral Act and subsequently declared it void.
Also, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Rivers House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule as the authentic and legally constituted legislature.
A five-member panel of justices led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji gave the order in a lead judgment read by Justice Emmanuel Agim.
The apex court also restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria and the accountant-general of the federation from further releasing budgetary allocations to Rivers until a lawfully constituted house of assembly passes a valid Appropriation Act.
In a unanimous judgment on Friday, the panel ordered that Mr Amaewhule and other 26 members of the assembly, who were alleged to have defected, should be allowed to resume legislative duties unhindered.
The Supreme Court further ordered that all members of the House of Assembly are to resume normal legislative businesses without any hindrance to any members.
Mr Agim condemned the conduct of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who he said chose to destroy the government of Rivers and resort to acting unlawfully by pulling down the House of Assembly owing to his fear that there were moves to impeach him.
The apex court set aside the earlier judgement of the Court of Appeal, in which the appellate court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction on cases relating to funds belonging to Rivers.
The panel equally awarded a cost of N5 million against Mr Fubara and the government of Rivers, to be paid to the Rivers House of Assembly and Mr Amaewhule.
